The Bremen-town Musicians

by Ruth Belov Gross, Wilhelm Grimm, Jack Kent (Illustrator)

Once there lived a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster who had grown too old to be useful to their masters. Because their masters want to get rid of them, they run away. They meet on the road and decide to go to Bremen-Town to be street musicians.

Soon, they discover a cozy cabin occupied by robbers. The four friends have an idea and manage to scare the robbers away by making the loudest music they can. Now they can settle into a new home.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Fiction, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Florida, Ruth Belov Gross has lived in New York City ever since graduating from the University of Miami in 1950. Although her first job out of college was as an editorial assistant for a children's publishing house, Gross never planned to write for children herself. Instead she went on to a successful career as a medical writer, where she became adept at thorough and meticulous research and translating complex medical information into nontechnical language.

Such skills served her well when she wrote her first children's book, What Do Animals Eat?, in 1970, and though she initially assumed she would return to medical writing, she never did. “I was finally doing what I had always wanted to do — without knowing that it was what I had always wanted to do.”

Since then, Gross has written numerous books for children, specializing in nonfiction and re-tellings of traditional tales. She welcomes questions and comments from children, and often uses their input to make her work more thorough. When they are not working, Gross and her husband enjoy cooking, gardening, and vacationing in Vermont, where they have a tiny A-frame house in the woods.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is featured for Shabby Sunday @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...

This book goes way back to my childhood and its honestly one of my very first reading remembrances next to the Hansel and Gretel record edition that I had. I fell in love with retellings from a very young age and to this day they’re some of my favorite reads. This isn’t my original copy from when I was a kid, but a copy I picked up at a book sale years ago for my own children.

My edition from childhood had a cassette with it that I loved to listen to. The audio is hilarious! I thought about tracking down the original, but I did find the original audio on YouTube. I’m so thankful for YouTube as it’s such an amazing tool.

The book begins with a donkey who is told by his master that he’s no good anymore. His master feels that he’s too old for work. The donkey decides to run away and he heads to Bremen-town to become a musician. On his way, he meets other animals who are in the same position as he is. Their masters have no use for them anymore either.

On their travels they come to a house. When they take a look inside the window they find robbers sitting around a table and having a good time. They decide that they’d love to have some of their food and devise a plan to kick the robbers out. They come crashing through the window and the robbers run away.

I won’t spoil the whole story for you. This is still a favorite today and my kids enjoy reading it. There are many different versions and the original Grimm tale is worth checking out! Our copy is taped up and not in very good condition. The illustrations are still colorful though and it’s totally readable.

5*****

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations and text aren't very compelling, and neither my nieces nor I are very interested in this book. We'll swap it away soon.

[China Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bremen-town Musicians is a Folktale about a donkey who sets out to be a musician in Bremen-town because his master believes he can no longer work for him. Along the way, the donkey meets a dog, cat and rooster whose masters no longer have use for them too. However, the donkey brings them along on his journey to Bremen-town so they can make music together! Along the way, the animals encounter several robbers. Will they ever make it to Bremen-town?

This book teachers young readers the value of others and that differences are what can help bring people together. All of the illustrations are done in bright watercolors, and the whole-page design adds energy to the story. I find the different personalities that the animals have to be very funny. This is an entertaining story that I recommend to any young reader.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book retelling of the folktale The Bremen Town Musicians (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten) by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.

A donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster decide to go to Bremen to become musicians after their masters decide they are too old to be useful and plan to do away with them. On the way there, they discover a house in which robbers are enjoying their stolen goods. The animals scare the thieves away, claim the house and the spoils for themselves, and happily live out the rest of their lives. They never go to Bremen or become musicians.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Fairytale
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)

This book was a retelling of the original German of four animals that begin to feel neglected by their owners because of their old age. It reminded me of something I was told when I was younger. I was told that elderly people are not useless. In fact, they are actually very wise. However, I am not sure young children would pick up on this theme. Overall, I would give this book 3 stars.

[Clint Pearcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recognized the title and picked this up from a Little Free Library. I remember the title from my childhood... It's from 1974, so it's from just the right time for me to have encountered it while I was learning to read a couple years later. I read it just now - a cute little book for young readers!

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay version of the classic tale. I picked it up because of Jack Kent's illustrations, though I have to admit, this is not his best work.

[R. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite rendition, because the text is suitable for reading to a two-year-old

[Roland · Rating 3 out of 5]

To avoid being murdered four animals split town to become musicians. On the way they scare some burglars out of an empty house and become squatters.

[Estella · Rating 5 out of 5]

i liked it

[Paul Large · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good book for younger children as they might think that nobody wants them, but in the end, they realize that someone will want them and that they are special in their own ways. Another reason that this book is good for younger readers is that it has a lot of animals that they kids would love to see in the pictures and read about. Ruth Belov Gross does a great job explaining the animals and what was going on with them to end them in the situation that they are in. This book also has good illustrations that go along with the books storyline that would be easy for the children to follow. The flow of the book is very appropriate for younger readers and it has a certain pattern that is repeated throughout the book that is easy to follow. With all of these things, I would recommend this book to anyone who was looking for an easy read. This would also be a splendid book to do an oral read on to add more interesting elements to the classroom.

[Amanda Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bremen-town Musicians is a good book for children ages 5-8. Ruth Gross does a good job retelling the tale and Jack Kent's illustrations help tell the story as well. He uses bright cartoon characteristic pictures. This is a great book to start children out on Folklore. Four abandoned/runaway animals gather together to become musicians to get away from their terrible homes. When they come acrossed a house, a robber hide out in the woods, they take over. Leaving the old robbers frightened. The one robber get attacked and then lies about what happened to himself so the others wouldn't make fun of him. That is teaching how the tales get passed down and change slightly from time to time.

[Pynteya Bate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old donkey, cat, dog, and a rooster get together and decide live their masters, before they throw them out, to become musicians. Their plan was to go the town Bremen, but on the way there they scare the thieves away from the house they were rubbing. The thieves came back, but all of them made scary noise again so thieves run away fast and promise never come back. Our friends stayed there together and took care of each other. I love that story, even though it is retold it is still close to the version I heard when I was a little. My students love it too.

[Brittney · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Bremen-town Musicians" is a kindergarten level reading book. It is a fun and exciting book about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a roster, who all escape from their owners. All four animals set off on a journey to be Bremen-town musicians. When they come to a house, which is occupied by robbers they team up and scare the robbers off. I would use this story to show how teamwork really works.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a favourite if mine since childhood. I love the pictures and the happy ending for the animals, though I do tend to feel sorry for the robber who gets scratched, bit, and kicked! Be warned that the robber thinks the animals are a witch, a monster, a giant, and a ghost. It never bothered me as a child, but know some are sensitive to those things.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is a nice book because I like the music they made.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for younger ones. The enjoy reading this book. Illustrations along with the story makes the kids enjoy the story.

[Little Champs]

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